shraddha/faith

śraddhāṃ devā yajamānā vāyughopā upāsate |
śraddhāṃhṛdayyayākūtyā śraddhayā vindate vasu || rigveda
Guarded by Vāyu, Gods and men who sacrifice draw near to Faith.
Man winneth Faith by yearnings of the heart, and opulence by Faith.

निज अनुभव अब कहउँ खगेसा। बिनु हरि भजन न जाहि कलेसा।।
राम कृपा बिनु सुनु खगराई। जानि न जाइ राम प्रभुताई।।
जानें बिनु न होइ परतीती। बिनु परतीति होइ नहिं प्रीती।।
प्रीति बिना नहिं भगति दिढ़ाई। जिमि खगपति जल कै चिकनाई।।
बिनु गुर होइ कि ग्यान ग्यान कि होइ बिराग बिनु।
गावहिं बेद पुरान सुख कि लहिअ हरि भगति बिनु।।
कोउ बिश्राम कि पाव तात सहज संतोष बिनु।
चलै कि जल बिनु नाव कोटि जतन पचि पचि मरिअ।।
बिनु संतोष न काम नसाहीं। काम अछत सुख सपनेहुँ नाहीं।।
राम भजन बिनु मिटहिं कि कामा। थल बिहीन तरु कबहुँ कि जामा।।
बिनु बिग्यान कि समता आवइ। कोउ अवकास कि नभ बिनु पावइ।।
श्रद्धा बिना धर्म नहिं होई। बिनु महि गंध कि पावइ कोई।।
बिनु तप तेज कि कर बिस्तारा। जल बिनु रस कि होइ संसारा।।
सील कि मिल बिनु बुध सेवकाई। जिमि बिनु तेज न रूप गोसाई।।
निज सुख बिनु मन होइ कि थीरा। परस कि होइ बिहीन समीरा।।
कवनिउ सिद्धि कि बिनु बिस्वासा। बिनु हरि भजन न भव भय नासा।।
बिनु बिस्वास भगति नहिं तेहि बिनु द्रवहिं न रामु।
राम कृपा बिनु सपनेहुँ जीव न लह बिश्रामु।।
अस बिचारि मतिधीर तजि कुतर्क संसय सकल।
भजहु राम रघुबीर करुनाकर सुंदर सुखद।।
Now I tell you my own realization, O lord of the
winged creatures : unless we adore Hari our troubles will not end. Listen, king of the
birds : without parmatma’s grace it is not possible to know the Lord.s greatness. Without
knowledge faith is out of the question; and without faith there can be no love. Shorn of
love, devotion will not abide any more than the lubricity produced by water.
Is spiritual illumination possible without a preceptor ? Or, again, is it possible to
acquire wisdom without dispassion? Or, as the Vedas and Puranas declare, can one
attain happiness without devotion to Hari/rudra? Again, can one find peace
without innate content? Can a boat ever float without water even though you strain every
nerve till your last breath?
Without content desire cannot cease; and so long as desire continues you can
never dream of happiness. Again, can desire be got rid of without adoring parmatma? Can
a tree ever take root without soil? Can even-mindedness be acquired without spiritual
enlightenment? Can anyone get moving space without ether? There can be no piety
without faith. Can anyone get odor except from the earth and spread one.s glory except
through austere penance? Can there be any taste in this world without water? Can virtue
be acquired without waiting upon the wise, any more than colour can exist without the
element of fire, my master? Can the mind be at rest without experiencing the joy inherent
in one.s own self? Can there be any sensation of touch without air, and any success
without faith? In a like manner the fear of rebirth can never cease except through worship
of parmatma.
Without faith there can be no Devotion and god never melts except through
Devotion; and without parmatma.s grace the human soul can never attain peace even in
a dream. Pondering thus, abandon all cavilling and
scepticism and adore the all beautiful god, a fountain of

mercy and the delight of all.